FIRST DRIVE
Big, fast Range Rover is utterly pleasing
There’s mud on the floor mats. These are not mere mats, however. These are deep t wist- pil e mohair carpets in black, sumptuous enough to make Queen Elizabeth want to drive barefoot. And I’ve just sullied them — embarrassingly — with soggy farm soil after taking pictures of the 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic out in a field.
Yes, that’s a mouthful of a name for any vehicle, but the carpet is just the first hint that luxury of the highest order is at hand here.
Diamond-patterned seats, a smattering of knurled aluminum accents complementing other bits of gorgeous trim, and leather so thick and rich smelling that it should be bottled and sold at Harrods are the first winks of charm to this Range Rover’s real estate, evidence that the competition for this vehicle is not so much Mercedes-Benz as it is Bentley or Rolls-Royce.
The only things that seem odd are the red anodized aluminum paddle shifters behind the wheel, but they hint at what’s to come.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Spe- cial Vehicle Operations, an i n- house t uning arm launched in 2014 and now with some 1,100 employees, has already produced a unique clutch of vehicles, the raucous Range Rover Sport SVR and Jaguar F-Type SVR among them. Now it has turned its power tools, engineering talent and huge palette of colour and finishing options to the brand’s crown once more. Apparently, Land Rover says, those who want the full- size flagship would never be satisfied with a slightly smaller, slightly more rudimentary Range Rover Sport SVR, hence the lavish performance addition on the SVAutobiography Dynamic.
That treatment is highlighted by a standard wheelbase designation for the Dynamic model, paired with a virtual hurricane housed under the hood. The union of tight wheelbase and immense power — best released parsimoniously with gentle application of the aluminum pedal on the right — is meant to appeal to those Range Rover buyers who prefer to take command of the wheel instead of reading briefing notes or iPads in the back seat, a “gentlemen’s express” of sorts.
So what does that mean? It means full throttle acceleration in the SVAutobiography Dynamic would make Sir Isaac Newton double check his notes, because making so much mass move through space and time so quickly and comfortably ought not to be possible. Yet here we are, hitting 100 km/ h in 5.5 seconds, the exhaust roaring through four polished pipes out back as though it must be spitting fire. The symphony up front is a coaxial of supercharger whine and thunder as the 5.0- litre V8 heralds 542 horsepower to the four wheels in the form of 502 pound-feet of torque.
Yet there’s a silkiness to the distribution of power that helps explain what this Range Rover is all about, leaving little doubt this is an ambitious attempt to make the fastest Range Rover also the most comfortable and most opulent. The exhaust quiets considerably while cruising, with the only sound in the cabin some flits of wind off the big side mirrors.
The eight- speed automatic transmission is always at attention, shifting studiously instead of delaying things for the sake of fuel economy, which surprisingly isn’t as horrendous as one would expect, averaging 12.8 L/ 100 km. Nothing seems hurried. Everything that has always been brilliant about a Range Rover is still here, only enhanced, as though some well- trained tuners finally got to f ulfil their l atent Range Rover fantasies.
Over the hilly and twisty English countryside, where the narrow roads are often pockmarked with ruts and holes and water, the big horse keeps its composure, delivering a solid and pleasing ride with only the deepest holes punishing the driver for not avoiding them.
The view over the commanding flat hood is as generous as it is to the sides, although Land Rover’s use of heated windscreens — with wires embedded in the glass — interferes with clarity out front.
No s uch i nterference was evident in the slightlyl owered suspension that gets different damping. And while the wheels might have less travel, the lower centre of gravity and active antisway bars help reduce lean in the corners, encouraging a little more speed and a little later brake, an impressive feat considering this steed weighs 2,457 kg. Brembo brakes controlling 21- or 22- inch wheels eliminate speed impressively. Steering is tight, gently weighted and good at taking direction.
Finding our way across the countryside was effortless, in part thanks to a new, larger 10.2-inch touch-screen display with pinch and zoom functions, but more importantly, enhanced satellite navigation that was as accurate and functional as it was clear. For Land Rover, that’s saying something.
Despite its girth, the big, fast Rover is utterly pleasing in just about every way. It’s an SUV that could be driven clear across the country or down just about any trail, its legendary off- road credentials enhanced with current technology. The Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic has been given a mission, it seems, to serve without ever asking much of his lordship, much like a proper butler would, and precisely the way an SUV priced from $195,000 should.